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I Met Al Leiter Today

Valadius Dec 19 2005 08:03 PM

I came home today, as my last final was at 8:00 AM. I packed up and got to Union Station at around 3:30. I emerge from the Metro and I walk through Union Station with my bags when I notice a familiar face walking towards me. Who should it be than the one and only Alois Leiter, in the flesh. He was with his daughter, a blonde of perhaps 10 or 11. They walked past me, but I turned around and said, "Al?" Al Leiter slowly turned around. I went up to him and said, "Hi Al, my name's Steve Lieberman, and I'm a very big fan. Nice to meet you." We shook hands and Al said, "Nice to meet you too." He then walked away, daughter in tow. He seemed quite nervous and shaken in person. I wait for my train, the 4:00 Acela. As I walk out onto the platform, who should I see but again, Mr. Alois Leiter and his daughter, bags in tow. Two guys noticed him and one said, "Hey Al! Merry Christmas!" Al kind of grimaced and said, "Thanks." He then hurried off with his daughter onto a car far up on my train. I don't know what Al was doing in Washington alone with his young daughter. They both had a considerable amount of luggage, though. Maybe they were checking out the Washington area, with Al taking his daughter to look at schools? Who knows. But one thing's for sure: I ran into Al Leiter.

Willets Point Dec 19 2005 08:06 PM

Alois has a future in Washington.

OlerudOwned Dec 19 2005 08:11 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun for you, lucky. Not so much for Al.

Edgy DC Dec 19 2005 08:18 PM

Al Leiter reportedly has a funky history running into college-aged strangers. Leiter declined the Yankees arbitration offer yesterday. They still have until January 8th to sign him, but I'd've taken it.

ScarletKnight41 Dec 19 2005 08:22 PM

Alois is much more amenable to the "Would you please sign this ball for my 9-year-old lefty who grew up emulating you?" approach.

metirish Dec 19 2005 08:53 PM

Val are you Joe Lieberman's son?,you've hinted that your Dad knows more than a few heavy hitters, it makes perfect sence....

cooby Dec 19 2005 09:14 PM Re: I Met Al Leiter Today

Valadius wrote: . He seemed quite nervous and shaken in person. He always seemed that way on TV, too, especially on the pitcher's mound. Just busting your chops, Valadius, nice job! :)

Edgy DC Dec 19 2005 09:35 PM

According to his bio, Sen. Lieberman has four kids: Matthew, Rebecca, Ethan and Hana. No Steves in the lot. Unless Val is an unofficial kid.

Johnny Dickshot Dec 19 2005 09:36 PM

Remember when that guy at mofo met Leiter at the gym? He spilled some news, tho I don't recall what it was.

Spacemans Bong Dec 19 2005 09:41 PM

Edgy DC wrote: According to his bio, Sen. Lieberman has four kids: Matthew, Rebecca, Ethan and Hana. No Steves in the lot. Unless Val is an unofficial kid. That man whore.

Valadius Dec 19 2005 10:01 PM

Nope, but now that my identity is out in the open, I guess my dad's is fair game too. [url]http://www.optionsclearing.com/press/board_members/bio_lieberman.jsp[/url]

soupcan Dec 20 2005 05:00 AM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Remember when that guy at mofo met Leiter at the gym? He spilled some news, tho I don't recall what it was. cooby'll remember - If I recall correctly she knew the guy.

cooby Dec 20 2005 05:29 AM

Only in my nightmares

soupcan Dec 20 2005 05:37 AM

Wasn't his name 'Chuck'? What was the revelation he posted about Leiter?

KC Dec 20 2005 06:30 AM

I think Valad needs to start a stocks to watch thread under another handle. We can all get rich and get Al a car service. I don't know if I'd be futsin' around with luggage and a kid and Amtrack delays - and I'm poor. Way to be a regular guy, Alois.

Bret Sabermetric Dec 20 2005 06:38 AM

"Nice to meet you." Nice to MEET you? When you could have said, "Al, don't you realize that deliberately running up high pitch counts is an essentially give-up philosophy wherein you're conceding certain tangible advantages to the batter, primarily having the count in his favor a significant percentage of the time but also including giving the opposing teams much needed chances to accustomize themselves to the pitches you have available on a given day, and that the least of what you're conceding is that your team's bullpen will doomed to overwork whenever you pitch, and that you're far better to challenge the batters at least a sizeable minority of all the batters-facing-pitchers encounters? Huh, don't you?" Nice to meet you, my ass.

smg58 Dec 20 2005 08:17 AM

And now we know why Al looked so nervous and uncomfortable...

Elster88 Dec 20 2005 08:22 AM

Bret Sabermetric wrote: "Al, don't you realize that deliberately running up high pitch counts is an essentially give-up philosophy wherein you're conceding certain tangible advantages to the batter, primarily having the count in his favor a significant percentage of the time but also including giving the opposing teams much needed chances to accustomize themselves to the pitches you have available on a given day, and that the least of what you're conceding is that your team's bullpen will doomed to overwork whenever you pitch, and that you're far better to challenge the batters at least a sizeable minority of all the batters-facing-pitchers encounters? Huh, don't you?" Nice to meet you, my ass. I hate reruns.

ScarletKnight41 Dec 20 2005 08:41 AM

I'm laughing to myself, picturing Bret meeting Al in person. Only because I recall a dinner at Bobby V's when many of us met Bobby, and Bret passed on his chance to tell the then current Mets manager everything that he thought of his managing style. BTW, the memory of that lost opportunity helped prod me to mouth off at Steve Phillips when I had my shot at him last month ;)

Bret Sabermetric Dec 20 2005 09:03 AM

I did, however, smoothly slip "homina, homina, homina" into the conversation.

ScarletKnight41 Dec 20 2005 09:04 AM

Yes, that was quite smooth ;)

Bret Sabermetric Dec 20 2005 09:21 AM

Besides, like Al Leiter, I took an essentially conservative approach to verbal jousting with Bobby V., who could convince you that the earth is a cube if give him a chance. I figured "The more HE talks, the more fun we can make of him afterwards, whereas the more I talk, the more fun everyone will make of me afterwards." So why is it you're mocking me now for keeping my trap shut? I'm writing this, btw, with a snapshot of me staring agog at BV that night hanging in plain sight.

ScarletKnight41 Dec 20 2005 09:42 AM

Mocking? Nah - not mocking. Just ribbing you a little. Assuming that it's a "laughing with" rather than "laughing at" kind of thing.

Bret Sabermetric Dec 20 2005 10:28 AM

Just playing an over-sensitive dweeb on the Internet, is all,

ScarletKnight41 Dec 20 2005 10:29 AM

I suspected as much.

Vic Sage Dec 20 2005 10:49 AM

BV shot down my "don't you think we need a stronger top 3 for the rotation" with his denial that a front-loaded rotation has any kind of advantage over a deeper but less dominant rotation, even in the post-season. He was wrong, of course, so he was either being purposely dense or just trying to support his current team. I didn't see any point in pursuing any other points with him that night. I don't remember Bret being particularly tight-lipped, howwever.

Edgy DC Dec 20 2005 11:01 AM

Meet a Met! Meet a Met! At Union Station I met a Met Hauling kiddies, hauling bags He was shaken and his face kind of sags I said "Merry Christmas!" and "I'm a big fan He looked kind of nervous as I shook his hand East Coast! Corrider! Acela roaring into town I rode with an M-E-T --- a Met! A New York Met When I have a Christmas greeting but a Jewish last name Where do I go? To meet a Met! When he's acting inconspicuous like Valerie Plame What do I do? I meet a Met! 'Cuz i'm a fan of the orange and blue Though he's walking with his head down And he played for my fave ball club And I'm meeting him out of town! Give him a yell! Give him a hand! And if he's surly, break his Yankee left hand!

ScarletKnight41 Dec 20 2005 11:05 AM

Nice Edgy. But I still prefer your multi-religion version of the song ;)

Valadius Dec 20 2005 12:07 PM

You know, I was working on a song on the train, but I couldn't get it the way I wanted. I'll come up with one soon, though.

Valadius Dec 20 2005 07:54 PM

'Twas Six Days Before Christmas 'Twas six days before Christmas, and Hanukkah too, And writing two papers had made me quite blue. On Harriet Miers I'd written a lot - Her brief nomination had all been for naught. My days had been spent largely stuck in my bed, As I, naive freshman, was in over my head. I'd procrastinated till all hope seemed quite lost - I studied so much that my brain did exhaust. And then it was Monday, the date of my test, And after I'd finished, I'd go home to rest. At eight in the morning I had my exam - In my mental ballgame, I hit a grand slam. With a skip in my step, I returned to my room, Having finished my quest to avert my own doom. I opened my drawers and I looked through my things, And packed up what one who is going home brings. In, boxers! In, blue jeans! In, polos and t-shirts! In, laptop! In, slippers! In, iPod and sweatshirts! To the depths of my suitcase! To the end of the hall! Now roll away! Roll away! Roll away, all! I rolled my large suitcase, complete with a tag, Past the bum, BOVA, in his sleeping bag. I rolled down New Hampshire with all my supplies, And passed a LaRouchite, mind twisted by lies. I got on the Blue Line and then switched to Red, "This is Union Station," the loudspeaker said. I got off the Metro and entered the station, As someone familiar approached my location. He was wearing a tan leather jacket with jeans, But that face I remembered from plenty of scenes. His daughter was with him, a cute little blonde, And it took me some time for my brain to respond. "It is him! Al Leiter! How awesome!" thought I, As Leiter and daughter walked up, then walked by. I then turned around as he passed and said, "Al?" Al Leiter then stopped and turned to face me, young Val. He looked a bit nervous as I shook his right hand, As if his day hadn't gone just as he'd planned. "Hi, I'm Steve Lieberman. I'm a really big fan." "Nice to meet you," I said. He seemed like a nice man. "Nice to meet you," said Al, and he left with his daughter. Al probably wished that he'd never have brought 'er. Now I was excited. I thought, "This is cool!" "I can't wait tell my friends at the Crane Pool!" As I sat down to wait for my four o'clock train, I thought it absurd that I'd see Al again. The train began boarding at quarter to four, And I was quite shocked when I saw Al once more. He was helping his daughter, who'd fallen behind, And as I walked closer I thought I'd lost my mind. "Hey Al! Merry Christmas!" said some random guy, And Al looked quite nervous as I passed him by. And the last thing Al said was indeed quite polite: "Merry Christmas to you!" Then he vanished from sight.

Johnny Dickshot Dec 20 2005 08:22 PM

WHAM.

Edgy DC Dec 20 2005 08:25 PM

It'd be pretty interesting to see the transit strike inconvenience Al.

Valadius Dec 20 2005 08:30 PM

I had "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" in mind since I got on the train. Just needed time and the internet to look up the poem.

Zvon Dec 20 2005 10:28 PM

Thats kool beans Val. Are you sure it was his daughter? BADABOOOOOM!

Valadius Dec 21 2005 12:42 PM

Comments on the poem, anyone?

Johnny Dickshot Dec 21 2005 12:43 PM

Kapow!

Edgy DC Dec 21 2005 12:49 PM

Val's semester is over but he's still grade-grubbing. It's so freaking cute. Great job..

ScarletKnight41 Dec 21 2005 12:52 PM

Very good job Val :)

G-Fafif Dec 21 2005 01:23 PM

Neat poem! Al and I are old pals. I saw him sitting in front of the Starbucks across the street from the team hotel in Cincinnati in 2003, furiously chatting up a guy who appeared to be one of the writers. I circled the block for half an hour and never got up the nerve to interrupt and say hello. Then I went back to the room and spent half an hour telling my wife how I had just spent the previous half-hour. As we were going out, we passed him as we were leaving and he was entering the elevator. "Hi Al!" And for reasons still unknown to me, I gave him the thumbs-up. "Yeah, hi." Made my day. Fans are so easy.

Bret Sabermetric Dec 21 2005 02:22 PM

G-Fafif wrote: Then I went back to the room and spent half an hour telling my wife how I had just spent the previous half-hour. which is the male equivalent of listening to pointless blather about some incredibly detailed but totally non-consequential encounter with one of her friends.

Zvon Dec 21 2005 03:26 PM

Valadius wrote: Comments on the poem, anyone? its freakin classic. :):):):) ]In, boxers! In, blue jeans! In, polos and t-shirts! In, laptop! In, slippers! In, iPod and sweatshirts! To the depths of my suitcase! To the end of the hall! Now roll away! Roll away! Roll away, all!

G-Fafif Dec 21 2005 03:31 PM

Bret Sabermetric wrote: which is the male equivalent of listening to pointless blather about some incredibly detailed but totally non-consequential encounter with one of her friends. To be fair, I do just about all the blathering in our family, especially when the encounters are imaginary.